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| David Childers and the Modern Don
Juans have persevered in making the kind of music that is honest to
their attitudes and life view. "Life is basically sad and horrible,"
muses David Childers. "It's our job to brighten things, hold up some
mirrors here and there, then throw brickbats at them. Somebody might
find a joke or two in the shards." Their new album, Burning In Hell, paints many a sad portrait, while shaking the rafters and filling up the dance floor at the same time. "It's hard to be too sad when you're dancing" quips Mark Lynch, bass player and producer of the new album. "Two things we try to do with our music; paint an honest picture of life, and rock like hell doing it." It is impossible not to rock with the likes of Randy Saxon (guitar and back up vocals) and Robert Childers (drums) in the mix. Last year’s Jailhouse Religion was thoroughly rejected by Americana Radio, but quickly went to Number One on the Euro Americana Chart, found much praise from critics at home and in Europe, and led to a performance on the prestigious Mountain Stage as well as an on-air interview with renown critic Dave Marsh on his Sirius radio show, Kick Out the Jams. Despite the Americana radio cold shoulder, it has shown up in the Top100 of a number of radio stations, was the #1 local release on Charlotte’s WNCW, and landed in No Depression's Top 100 for 2006. A successful tour of Holland in May and June of 2006 inspired the band to move on to the next album, Burning In Hell. Childers recalls: "Rob and Mark and I were sitting on a porch in Amsterdam at the end of a great tour, and we knew the time had come to start a new record. Holland and the good response from the people there really stoked us to keep making music as best we can. We decided right then and there to start work on the new one as soon as we got back. And we pretty much did that." Childers continues: "I was pretty bummed about the way Jailhouse Religion was rejected by Americana radio, a place where I had had some minor success in the past; but then I realized that we were just rocking too hard to get inside the walls of Fort Americana, that place where old stars who lost their big record deals go to be remembered one last time." I said to myself, "Who listens to that shit any way? People buy our records and come to our shows, and clubs keep having us, even if I can't get Lucinda to sing with me on my new record. We ain't going to ever be big, so let's just do what we want and have fun with it. The fun seems to be contagious. People can tell we're for real. " Over the past two years Childers has found himself more comfortable in the writing process solely as a lyricist, enthusiastically matching his words with the musical ideas of the band. This has resulted in an album that is mostly co-writes with Lynch, Saxon and Robert Childers. There are also covers of Eric Andersen's "Close The Door Lightly" and Bill Noonan's "Burning In Hell", the title track. "We met Eric in Holland. I talked to him and told him how much his music meant to me, and played ‘Close The Door Lightly’ for him. He had to straighten me out on the chord changes, but he encouraged me to record it. It is quite different from his way. I do not know if he knows how much that song meant to me as a lonely young guy rejected by girlfriends and such. It's probably my favorite cut on the album." As for Noonan, Childers adds: "Bill is a good friend and helped me make a couple of records in the past, plus helped me get my foot in the door at a lot of places in Charlotte where we built a good scene and a good following. His song is pretty crazy and just fits how I feel about a lot of things. Once the band heard his song we knew it had to be a part of the record." Burning In Hell was recorded in the space of five days this past August in Gastonia, North Carolina at Old House Studio. David fondly recalls: "The studio is cool as hell. It is really in an old house, has a comfortable feel, and was close to home for all of us. It is set out in the country. Definitely the most relaxed recording experience I have ever had. I think the songs reflect that. We had a really good sound engineer, Chris Gages, and Mark Lynch, our bass player and producer, came up with some great ideas to make the songs and the performances special. We did it all fast and moved on to mixing, mastering. Now we just hope people like it and will buy it. So far, it looks good for that. I guess we'll just keep on doing this for a while." Burning In Hell will be released on February 27, 2007. This spring, The Modern Don Juans will continue to bring their blazing shows to the masses….with or without Americana radio. ”This North Carolina rocker nails it at the bottom line. No frills, nothing fancy. Just straight ahead guts and truth. Childers is the real and upright deal. His music is as real and honest as he can make it and you can’t ask more than that.” - Plan 9 Music “David Childers and the Modern Don Juans is a kick-ass, down-and-dirty, hard-rockin' Americana band.” - Cleveland Scene “He plays with acerbic wit and folklore wisdom, like a homegrown Richard Thompson.” - Free Times “David is a complex and consistently surprising person, and his music reflects his multi-faceted personality and creativity. Each song shows us a new side of David that all reflect an understanding of the human heart and soul not often heard in writers these days. His songs of love, longing, regret, fulfillment and mystery are populated by gallery of wonderfully drawn characters who vibrate with humanity and emotion.”- Marshall Ballew, WNCW-FM Discography Buring in Hell 2007 Jailhouse Religion 2006 Room 23 2003 Blessed In An Unusual Way 2002 A Good Way To Die 2001 Hard Time County 1999 Time Machine 1998 Godzilla! He Don Broke Out! 1994 Press photo (300 dpi) in color and black & white For booking contact: SLIM BOOKING Email: SlimBooking@gmail.com Phone: (704)578-5767; Fax: (704)563-5889 7131 Dorn Circle, Charlotte, North Carolina 28212 |
